Directions for Cookery, in its Various BranchesBy: Eliza Leslie (1787-1858)

First Page:

DIRECTIONS FOR COOKERY, IN ITS VARIOUS BRANCHES.

BY

MISS LESLIE.

TENTH EDITION, WITH IMPROVEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY RECEIPTS.

1840.

PREFACE

The success of her little book entitled "Seventy five Receipts in
Cakes, Pastry, and Sweetmeats." has encouraged the author to
attempt a larger and more miscellaneous work on the subject of
cookery, comprising as far as practicable whatever is most useful
in its various departments; and particularly adapted to the
domestic economy of her own country. Designing it as a manual of
American housewifery, she has avoided the insertion of any dishes
whose ingredients cannot be procured on our side of the Atlantic,
and which require for their preparation utensils that are rarely
found except in Europe. Also, she has omitted every thing which
may not, by the generality of tastes, be considered good of its
kind, and well worth the trouble and cost of preparing.

The author has spared no pains in collecting and arranging,
perhaps the greatest number of practical and original receipts
that have ever appeared in a similar work; flattering herself that
she has rendered them so explicit as to be easily understood, and
followed, even by inexperienced cooks. The directions are given as
minutely as if each receipt was "to stand alone by itself," all
references to others being avoided; except in some few instances
to the one immediately preceding; it being a just cause of
complaint that in some of the late cookery books, the reader,
before finishing the article, is desired to search out pages and
numbers in remote parts of the volume.

In the hope that her system of cookery may be consulted with equal
advantage by families in town and in country, by those whose
condition makes it expedient to practise economy, and by others
whose circumstances authorize a liberal expenditure, the author
sends it to take its chance among the multitude of similar
publications, satisfied that it will meet with as much success as
it may be found to deserve, more she has no right to expect.

Philadelphia, April 15th, 1837 .

INTRODUCTORY HINTS.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

We recommend to all families that they should keep in the house: a
pair of scales, (one of the scales deep enough to hold flour,
sugar, &c., conveniently,) and a set of tin measures: as accuracy
in proportioning the ingredients is indispensable to success in
cookery. It is best to have the scales permanently fixed to a
small beam projecting (for instance) from one of the shelves of
the store room. This will preclude the frequent inconvenience of
their getting twisted, unlinked, and otherwise out of order; a
common consequence of putting them in and out of their box, and
carrying them from place to place. The weights (of which there
should be a set from two pounds to a quarter of an ounce) ought
carefully to be kept in the box, that none of them may be lost or
mislaid.

A set of tin measures (with small spouts or lips) from a gallon
down to half a jill, will be found very convenient in every
kitchen; though common pitchers, bowls, glasses, &c. may be
substituted. It is also well to have a set of wooden measures from
a bushel to a quarter of a peck.

Let it be remembered, that of liquid measure

Two jills are half a pint.
Two pints one quart.
Four quarts one gallon.

Of dry measure

Half a gallon is a quarter of a peck.

One gallon half a peck.
Two gallons one peck.
Four gallons half a bushel.
Eight gallons one bushel.

About twenty five drops of any thin liquid will fill a common
sized tea spoon.

Four table spoonfuls or half a jill, will fill a common wine
glass.

Four wine glasses will fill a half pint or common tumbler, or a
large coffee cup.

A quart black bottle holds in reality about a pint and a half.

Of flour, butter, sugar, and most articles used in cakes and
pastry, a quart is generally about equal in quantity to a pound
avoirdupois, (sixteen ounces.) Avoirdupois is the weight
designated throughout this book.